


Warning: Arc Energy

by TheL3mon



Series: The Iron Bar [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, i give you this, instead of christmas fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9065461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheL3mon/pseuds/TheL3mon
Summary: Wherein an arm wrestling match turns into a disaster.





	

This was ridiculous. Who in the Traveler’s name thought it'd be a good idea for two Titans to have an arm wrestle?! This was going to end in tears, Areli just knew it. 

 

The Warlock was at Aleta's bar, in the company of said owner, Sebastian and Cain. Thankfully Cain hadn't joined in, the Titan wasn't known for his patience or self-control. 

 

Areli sighed and huffed at the ring that had somehow formed around the arm wrestling table. You'd think they were children, cheering and taunting the two players into exerting their strength. Yup, definitely a bad ending on the way. 

 

He sighed again, turning towards the bar to plead with Aleta but he stopped, a buzzing in his ear. He looked around for the source but couldn't find anything and was about to dismiss it but it quickly got louder, a more definite crackle and pop. 

 

Areli looked around to see if anyone else could hear it but they all seemed to be too invested in the match. He thought for a moment. The only time he'd heard this noise was in the Crucible, right before a- His eyes widened in shock. The Warlock whipped around to study the two Titans in the centre of the room. Sure enough, above one of them Areli could see tiny displacements in the air. And then he saw a spark. Definitely. Bad. Ending.

 

“EVERYONE GET DOWN!” He shouted as loud as he could while pushing himself through the throng of Guardians. He caught Aleta's eye and saw the dawning realisation.

 

He wasn’t making any progress in getting to the centre table so taking a deep breath, Areli resorted to extreme measures. “EYES DOWN GUARDIANS!” And just like that all the Guardians had taken cover, allowing Areli to dive towards the table, pull the opposite Titan out of the way and take his position. 

 

He was too late. Areli had wanted to absorb the Arc as his own but instead he had to make to try to control the energy, something near impossible. Definitely ending in tears. In a flash the Arc was being released and the Warlock took the brunt of it.

 

And it burned. 

 

There was a reason Guardians ran the other way when a Striker was charging towards them. 

 

Areli’s body seized, the Arc energy burning through his nerves, flitting across his skin. It was nothing like his own. This Arc was unrestrained and manic, raw energy released all at once.The only thing he could think was lucky I'm a Stormcaller as he ground his teeth together so that he couldn't scream.

 

It felt like it lasted an eternity but really it was over in a matter of seconds. He staggered backwards as the Arc dissipated. His head pounded and his body was numb and he couldn't hear anything over the roaring of blood in his ears. It was like being underwater.

 

“.....li…..reli….. ARELI!”

 

The Warlock jumped as all the sound came rushing back at once. It was Aleta who'd spoken. She'd approached him and stood at the edges of his blurry vision, Cain and Seb at her shoulders. The other Guardians in the room were peering over upturned furniture. It was shockingly quiet. Areli blinked owlishly.

 

“Areli? Are you-” But he interrupted the Hunter with a wheeze and cough. Areli felt wetness on his lips as he choked and he was distantly aware of the liquid welling up in his throat. He tried to step forward but the world tilted again. There might have been screaming but darkness overwhelmed him and the world was soon silent.

 

~ 

 

Sebastian rushed forward to catch the Warlock, gently propping him up against his own chest. The Hunter tried not to panic, Areli’s Ghost would pop out and heal him and this would be something they could laugh about in the future. 

 

But when Areli’s Ghost made an appearance, flitting above the Warlock, Seb was anything but relieved. Nothing was happening, Areli was still wheezing, blood gushing from his nose. The bar fell away as he desperately asked, “What's the matter? What's going on?!”

 

The Ghost looked close to tears, if Ghosts could cry, and it's centre optic was a bright pleading blue as it looked at him. “His Light! It's not…. It’s not…. Responding! I'm losing him!” 

 

Sebastian gaped. No. This couldn't be happening. They were in a Light Zone. Felwinter’s Peak. No where near any Darkness. Why wasn't Areli healing?! 

 

He heard Aleta shouting as he sat dumbly running his fingers through Areli’s hair, having no idea what else to do. 

 

“Everyone OUT! Cain! Get Saladin, we need to get Areli to the Tower as soon as possible.” Her tone changed to address Seb, “Can you carry Areli to the Hangar? Sebastian? Can you do that for me?”

 

He nodded at her mutely and scooped Areli into his arms, not liking at all how pale he was. They met Saladin, who looked absolutely furious, at the entrance to the Hangar. He stormed up to Aleta and they started arguing in hushed whispers. Seb transmatted into his ship and settled Areli on a bare cot just behind his seat. 

 

The Warlock’s Ghost was still flitting about its Guardian and the Hunter desperately wished it'd be able to get through to the Light soon. He didn't want to think about what would happen if they failed. 

 

“Oh!” 

 

Sebastian whipped round at the exclamation, “What? What is it?!”

 

“His Light! It's finally responding! But…. It's small and flickering…. I don't know why it's like this….”

 

Seb groaned in relief, a hand slipping down the metallic plates of his face, “That's good, Ghost. Just keep him alive till we get to the Tower, they'll know what to do….” He hoped.

 

Flipping the switches in the cockpit, the Hunter gunned the throttle and shot out the mountain, flying as fast as possible. 

 

Seb wasn't going to watch his best friend die today. 

 

~

 

Areli groaned, his chest flared, burning and restricted. Even with his eyes closed, he still felt dizzy. He tried to open his eyes but they were heavy. The Warlock felt himself slipping back under but he forced his eyes open. He was immediately blinded by the oppressive lights above his head and he moaned as he closed his eyes again.

 

After a moment, he blinked them back open, the lights not as harsh now, having been replaced by a dark object right in front of his face, a tiny blue light at the centre. 

 

“I DID IT!!! HE’S AWAKE!!!” 

 

Areli winced at the sudden loud exclamation and there was a hasty apology. Then, another figure appeared in his vision, one he recognised instantly. 

 

“S-Seb?” He groaned, trying to sit up. He gasped in pain as his chest constricted and the Exo Hunter was quick to gently push the Warlock back down. 

 

“Don't get ahead of yourself, ‘Reli.” Seb paused, finding the right words to say, “That was quite… something… back there.”

 

Areli frowned. “What happened?” The Warlock groaned as he cradled his head, the pounding making him even dizzier. 

 

Sebastian’s optics widened before he frowned. “You don't remember?”

 

“Hnn. No?”

 

“Damn the Darkness.” The Exo leaned back. “Holy Travellers Light! You don't remember?!”

 

Areli frowned, frustrated that he couldn't recall what Seb was going on about. “I thought I already told you this.”

 

But apparently Seb couldn't get over it. “You don't remember?! Areli, you just got hit by- what I'm only assuming was- a Cabal tonne of Arc! From a Striker!”

 

Areli gulped. “And I'm still alive?”

 

That made Seb pause. “What do you mean ‘you're still alive’?”

 

“Well I've been reading about the way Guardians use their Light-”

 

“But how does this end up with you dead?!” 

 

Areli hummed, not liking being interrupted. “A Striker’s energy is a quick burst of raw power. A Warlock’s is more fluid and longer lasting. Basically, I physically wouldn't have been able to cope with that amount of energy. It's why everyone dies in the Crucible.”

 

“But you're alive…?”

 

“Evidently.”

 

“...” 

 

“So, where are we going?”

 

“Back to the Tower to get you checked out by the doctors there.”

 

“The Tower has doctors?” 

 

“Yup. Hunters see them quite a bit. Was the first place Aleta showed Nox.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Right, now lie down and rest. We don't want you passing out again.”

 

Areli, who'd been complying, turned to Seb and whispered a shaking, “I didn't?”

 

The Hunter nodded slowly, “Yes, unfortunately. And you scared the cooling sludge out of me.”

 

The Warlock grimaced at the Exo’s use of language and covered his face with both hands. Sebastian was sure he heard a curse and a few choice words from the Awoken but he let them go, smirking just a little. 

 

~

 

Upon arrival in the Hangar at the Tower, Seb carefully helped Areli to the Tower doctors, walking past Guardians who hesitated in their actions, concern etched into their faces and body language. It was understandable, everyone liked Areli, even though he wasn't much of a social butterfly. The Warlock was charming, in his own shy way, the perfect mediator for any argument and imaginative in a way that even Zavala was impressed by, when it came to tactics… But then again, it didn't exactly help that Areli wore white armour and apparel all the Darkness damn time so literally everyone could see just how chewed up the Warlock was. No, really. The stark whiteness did literally nothing to hide the scorched material of the Awoken's robes, nor did it help with making Areli look even the slightest bit healthy, the Warlock looking a queasy pale pink instead of his chipper indigo. 

 

Sebastian got another taste for how well-liked Areli was when he led him down the stairs, into the Tower.

 

Eris stopped her ramblings and tilted her head, the glowing ‘eyes’ behind the mask dimming, as they trudged past and she followed behind them a couple paces which was a little unusual to Seb. Shaxx halted his propaganda speech at the sight of the pair and immediately asked after them in a smooth yet worried voice. At Sebastian’s minute shake of his head the Crucible handler moved over to the Warlock’s other side and helped the Exo lead Areli past the Vanguard and into the medical area. Of course the sight of the injured Guardian drew the leaders into the room but they stood back as the Awoken was immediately surrounded by impassive doctors in light grey coats. Seb and Shaxx stood back, allowing Areli to be led away.

 

“Do I even want to know what happened to Areli?” Ikora asked, not particularly friendly-like but the Hunter didn't blame her. Aleta's bar was notoriously… lively. 

 

Sebastian rubbed the back of his head and sheepishly avoided eye contact with the Warlock Vanguard, “Ermmmmm…” He started, “Areli kind of, sort of saved the entire bar?”

 

Ikora just raised an eyebrow, Zavala looking equally unimpressed but Cayde could almost be described as gleeful. 

 

Realising he was supposed to continue, Seb twiddled his thumbs and continued, “So, these two Titans were having an arm wrestle… And, ermmmm…. One of them was a Striker? And they kinda started…. Doing a Fist of Havoc? But Areli was the only one who noticed so he used the words? You know? The emergency ones? Which got everyone out the way but then he tried absorbing it and… well. That happened.”

 

“And he's still alive?” Was Ikora again.

 

“That's what he said as well! When he came to, on my ship!”

 

The congregated Guardians let a moment's silence wash over them, even Cayde was unusually quiet. 

 

“...I believe we'll be having a word with the Titans who partook in the arm wrestling match.” Zavala, eventually growled, “And Hunter Aleta.” 

 

The Hunter Vanguard didn't even object, telling Sebastian just how serious they were. He was sure he was missing out on something but Areli’s words on the ship didn't really explain why the Vanguard had reacted the way they did.

 

Ikora glared at Seb, the Hunter straightening under the attention and ordered, “You are to keep us updated on Areli’s progress.” And with that she turned and strode out of the doctors quarters, Zavala marching behind her and the rest of the senior members awkwardly in step behind him. 

 

Sebastian let his joints relax, letting out an audible whoosh of air, but he nearly jumped out of his armour when a nurse materialised by his side and proceeded to lead him in the direction he'd seen them take Areli. I hope Aleta doesn't get too wrung out, were the thoughts of the Hunter before he saw his best friend. Apparently the doctors were extremely fast workers and had already settled the injured Warlock onto a cot. 

 

Sebastian settled on a really flimsy-looking chair and waited.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. This update took forever, I'm so sorry :3


End file.
